Georgina Cutler
Guest Reporter
The UK owes India "more money than it has" in reparations for colonialism, a leading contender for the next Commonwealth Secretary-General has claimed.
The controversial statement comes as the Commonwealth prepares for its upcoming summit in Samoa.
Joshua Setipa, former trade minister for Lesotho and one of three candidates vying to replace Baroness Scotland, made the remarks in an interview with The Financial Times.
His comments have reignited the debate over slavery reparations, with Caribbean countries pushing for compensation discussions at the upcoming summit.
However, Downing Street has firmly stated that reparations are "not on the agenda" and that the UK Government would not pay them.
The situation sets the stage for potential political tensions as Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.
Setipa argued that the Commonwealth is the best forum to make a "political commitment" on the issue of reparations.
He suggested that richer countries need to push for reform to the global financial system with more loans and grants.
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Setipa said: "Take India. If the UK were to calculate how much it has to pay India, I don't think it even has that much money".
His comments have gained attention as all three candidates for the Commonwealth secretary-general position are believed to be open to backing reparations.
However, Setipa emphasised that "cheques" alone would not be sufficient to address the impact of the slave trade and colonialism.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: "Just to be clear, reparations are not on the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting."
The spokesperson added: "Technically, the Government's position on this has not changed. We do not pay reparations."
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley has argued that reparations should be part of a new "global reset".
Foreign Secretary David Lammy previously called for reparations in 2018 following the Windrush scandal.
He said at the time: "I'm afraid, as Caribbean people, we are not going to forget our history – we don't just want to hear an apology, we want reparation!"
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